Best Apples for Roasting | Apple for That (2024)

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Best Apples for Roasting | Apple for That? ›

The best apple for roasting is one that's firm, crispy, and mildly sweet: a Honeycrisp variety makes a perfect roasting option with its refreshing sweetness. Piñata^® apples are another apple that lends well to roasting.

The best apple for roasting is one that's firm, crispy, and mildly sweet: a Honeycrisp variety makes a perfect roasting option with its refreshing sweetness. Piñata^® apples are another apple that lends well to roasting.

For the best pies, crisps, and other baked treats, apples need to be firm enough to hold their own during the cooking process. We call these apples “baking apples” and to namedrop, they include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.

While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

These are all excellent choices for baking. You'll want to avoid soft, mealy, or creamy-flesh apples like Red Delicious, Gala, and McIntosh. They will soften up too quickly in the baking process, and therefore do not provide ideal texture.

Honeycrisp. One of the sweetest apples around, this Midwestern favorite is good for anything—including baking. It boasts a distinctive juicy crispness and is firm enough that it won't cook down much. It complements just about any other apple variety to make a stellar pie.

Honeycrisp: You might be able to tell by its name, but Honeycrisp apples are where it's at when it comes to loads of juiciness and honey-like sweetness! One unique feature of this sweet apple is its cells fracture perfectly when you take a bite out of it, resulting in the perfect crunch.

Hawaiian apples are crisp, firm, and very sweet. They are better for eating than for baking, and they are perfect for those who like sweet, rather than tart, apples.

What are the best apples for baking apple crisp? ›

What Makes A Good Apple For Apple Crisp? The best apples for baking keep their structure under heat, which prevents the chunks of fruit from turning into mush after baking. The firm and crisp Granny Smith and Honeycrisp varieties are popular apples to use in apple pies and apple crisps.

The late-season cultivar was bred in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, in 1985 and was released to commercial markets worldwide in the early 21st century. Envy™ apples were selected for their balanced, sweet, and tangy taste, crunchy nature, and thick skin, allowing the apples to be shipped long distances around the world.

Crisp Texture: The crisp texture of Honeycrisp apples enhances the overall eating experience. The satisfying crunch followed by the juice release creates a sensory experience often associated with juiciness. Balanced Flavor Profile: The natural sweetness of Honeycrisp apples also plays a role.

For Cooking: Applesauce, Apple Butter & Savory Foods

Apples work great with pork and chicken especially. (As a reminder, those are: Granny Smith, Belle De Boskoop, Gravenstein, Pippin, Pink Lady, Ashmead's Kernel, Spitzenburg, Golden Delicious, and Pink Pearl.)